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Two distinctive types of tradecloth were made in the South West:
Gloucestershire broadcloth
Several Stroud parishes produced high-quality loom-woven broadcloths. These included Chalford, Minchinhampton and Uley.
Broadcloth was made with carded wool in a plain weave. It was fulled after weaving. Then the surface of the cloth was raised with teasels and sheared. This gave the cloth a smooth, felted appearance which hid the weave.
Stroud broadcloths were well-known for their colour. Stroudwater Scarlet was famous as the cloth of red military uniforms.
'red for the army, white for the clergy and green for the billiard table.'
Traditional saying from the cloth industry in Stroud
Devonshire long ells
Devon produced very long cloths called serges or long ells. These were made in a twill weave. They had combed wool warps and carded wool wefts.
From January 2016, this website is managed by Stroud Local
History Society